How Do You Put A Fish Down Painlessly?

[AHorseNamedFrank]

I was too late treating my fish who has dropsy, he is still alive but he's huge, I can see right through his skin and he's not only bleeding internally, I believe his skin has split a little on the bottom. Things are coming out.

He's hanging on pretty well and I am very reluctant to put him down because he's still active but if he bursts and does not die, I want to be able to put him out of his pain.

I really hate the idea of this, but I think it's better than letting him die this way. Can anyone give me a suggestion on how do it? There is no way I will be able to unless I know it'll be quick and painless.

 

[Kyrielle]

I was too late treating my fish who has dropsy, he is still alive but he's huge, I can see right through his skin and he's not only bleeding internally, I believe his skin has split a little on the bottom. Things are coming out.

He's hanging on pretty well and I am very reluctant to put him down because he's still active but if he bursts and does not die, I want to be able to put him out of his pain.

I really hate the idea of this, but I think it's better than letting him die this way. Can anyone give me a suggestion on how do it? There is no way I will be able to unless I know it'll be quick and painless.

Quick and painless...only thing I can think of is to put something in his water that will knock him out almost instantly. Because you can't make him "drown" from air, since he can breathe air. And I know you wouldn't lop his head off or smack him on something...though it's quick and painless, it's ruthless and horrifying. Not sure what exactly was recommended on these forums for euthenasia.

 

[starrynightxxi]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=8031

 

[catxx]

a hard bonk on the head is the best way to kill a fish
gruesome as it is.

 

[MHunt]

You don't have to cut the head off completely. Just a neat cut to the back of the head to sever the spinal cord. That said i've never had to do it yet.

 

[AHorseNamedFrank]

Would straight ammonia kill quickly and painlessly?

My LFS suggested this. I am just not sure I can cut off his head so I am looking for other options that are nice and humane.

 

[starrynightxxi]

trouble is, there is no PAINLESS way to kill a fish. the most painless would probably be taking it to the vet and injecting it with pentabarbatol or ketamine or whatever it is that they use, but even that is going to cause pain because needles that are tiny to us, are thick to things much smaller than us. the aim really is to find the quickest way to kill a fish.

ammonia will probably kill the fish quickly, but I imagine it will not be painless because it is going to burn them entirely, inside and out. I suppose in theory this could cause shock to set in pretty quickly, but it's probably not going to be nice (not to mention not smelling nice to you).

if you can get a hold of clove oil at the drugstore it may be your best bet. It will certainly knock the fish out and afterwards to can dispatch of it as you see fit.

 

[ileopard]

I've never done it, and I have no idea if this is humane or not, but if you can't find clove oil, can you try bleach? Bleach is supposed to kill fish immediately. But I don't know if the fish feels pain before it dies in bleach.

 

[MHunt]

Would you like to be dunked in a vat of bleach?



It would not kill you quickly, but you would be in considerable agony until you did die.



I guess the only thing with decapitation is you don't know what pain the head or the brain is feeling once it is severed. But it must be quick.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Decapitation is not considered a humane death for cold-blooded animals since their slower metabolism allows them to survive longer without oxygen/blood flow to the brain. There have been many well-documented cases of severed reptillian heads still blinking, snapping (if enough muscles are intact), and showing brain activity hours after decapitation if kept in fairly cold conditions. I imagine it would be similar for fish.
Bleach/ammonia, though they certainly will kill, will not kill humanely and in many cases not quickly. It would be a rather agonizing death, and is not always fast; I know someone who put bleach, ammonia, and a whole bottle of perfume in a tank trying to kill some goldfish that were ailing; it still took minutes for gill movement to full stop and the fish to die.

Destroying the brain is very humane if done quickly, but it can be traumatic for the owner since smashing the entire head in one swift blow is the most sure-fire way to know you've done it right. I personally strongly suggest clove oil; it has natural anesthetic properties; the chemicals in it are the same as those used for performing surgeries on fish, it is simply in a more crude form. There is some debate as to if is painless since there simply haven't been too many studies on it, but it certainly knocks the fish out completely, and with a high enough OD the fish is dead in moments. I've always used it, and it seems much more peaceful than methods that induce shock.

So, to sum it up: if you can't find clove oil in your average health food store, quickly and completely destroying the brain is the most humane method.

edit: To clarify, if you decapitate THEN destroy the brain, decapitation is acceptable. I just don't see the point of the extra step and potential suffering, however.

 

[GuppyDude]

I can't kill things, esspecialy a critter that has have been my pet.

From what iv been told, oils work well in brings down a fish fast.

 

[n3ont3tra]

I know someone who put bleach, ammonia, and a whole bottle of perfume in a tank trying to kill some goldfish that were ailing; it still took minutes for gill movement to full stop and the fish to die.

Doesn't bleach + ammonia explode?

Somebody on this forum asked the same question a few weeks ago. In the end they filled a bathtub (it was a big fish) with cold water, put a load of ice in it to make it colder, and put the fish in. They said it sunk to the bottom immediately. I don't know if it /died/ immediately. But I'm assuming it did. From the shock of tempreatures. Good luck, if you have to put him down.

 

[vancouver]

I tried the cold water shock thing with a female betta of mine with dropsy and it didn't work.

Definitely squish it's head if you can.

Maybe you can get someone that isn't so attatched to the fish to do it..

If you stick it into a bag and get someone to step with the heel of their shoe right on it's head I don't see how it could survive.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Bleach + ammonia doesn't usually explode, just makes exceedingly toxic fumes. It can though; two fo the three reactions are definately explosions. I never said this person was smart... lol